The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-07-02
TANNING THE HAMMER.
A QUICK WAY OF FILLING YOUR
ENEMY WITH LEAD.
Hitting the Dead Center of an Oppo.
ncnt in Mortal Contcst-Sclf Cookers
and Single Acting Pistols-The "Fan-
ming" Movement Explained.

AAH'i"S tuc Dclu center OI an OrpO.
ncnt in Mortal Contcst-srlf Cookers
and Single Acting Pistols-The Fam
ming" Movement Explained.
Harry IL. Whtchill, ex-shcrir of Grant
county and formerly of New York city, was
i'll Santa Fe during much Of tho legislative
session just closed. and in conversation with
reporter liz remarked:
TITS funny, but every tcndcrfoot thinks
that all cowboys carry double acting, or, as
some call t!"m, ..'lf cooking rcvolverS There
was time when those weapons were in high
favor, but the cowboys soon found that they
were positively unhandy, instead of being a
help to- man i'll II hurry. Now self cooking
pistols are boycotted I'll bet that four
iilIhs OF tho cowboys i'll this territory hnve
gone ls,rk to the old style single acting pistol.
Two years ago everybody hal II double act
ing gum and wouldn't have any other"
"Why: Don't they like the new stylcl"
"No. They discovered that, try as they
would, they could not avoi,l detecting tho
m,zzle of tho pistol to the right while pulling
the trigger tn raise the hammer. You see,
all the power is applied from the right hand
side "f the trigger, where you put your fin
ger ill., Now, when you pull the trigger for the
comparatively long period necessary to get
thu double acting hammer up to the point
where the spring is Released md it falls, you
ili>tiisihly put n heavy pressure on the right
hand side, and can't help slightly swaying tho
m,la2lr in that direction. When the double
acting guns were in style hero We used to no.
trr That five out Of every six men who got
shot We're wounded i'll the left side. OF these,
about one half were shot so far to the left
u,, I.,lI nynI fI,ni, he
Another large percentage wero shot on the
inner side of the left arm.
HITTING; THE DEAD CENTER.
"N"w the cowboy prides himself on hitting
the dead center of his opponent. 1t is
always his wish TO put the hail right at the
junc,urr "f the ribs above the stomach. This
is moi merely because they want to put on
style: th" pl;,,in@ of ii forty eight culber hall
right there prevents Your man from coming
back nj y"u.' Now. soon us the cowboy
began to note this queer feature of the shoot
ing, it beculnra matter of serious moment to
them They quickly found the fault to be
i'll the self cocker, which, by DETECTING their
lnuz@l">, of course inclined tho balls toward
Tn" left side "f the man facing them in front.
That settled the self cocker The fact that
the cowboys were right is proven hy the
simultaneous disappearance of tho new style
l'>t" and the reappcarnnco of thu old style
wound"
"B,it can't one shoot fnStcr with the new
style wcapon:" asked the tenderfoot
Did you ever SEQ cowboy shoot" asked
the "x->herSf with quizzical smile. "Why,
sec here, this is n single acting, old style pis-
tol. Watch that tree
Before the words wore we'll uttered tho
handsome sheriff had got tho drop on tho
growing timber, nnd six shots rang out in
such rapid succession that they sounded like
the explosion of IL small puck of very large
fircrrilrkrrs. During the shooting Mr.. White
hills loft forclinger vibrntel along the top of
th" pistol barrel from n,lzzle to brcecli. The
Six balls entered the tree about three inches
apart.
"Now, carry my pistol fixed this way, and
its all ready for use" he continued, exhibit
ing the weapon. 1t was of AZ caliber, about
eighteen inches long AMI handsomely mount
ed The trigger was tied firmly back against
TIL" inner side of the guard with n rawhide
thong
"All have to do with it," explained the ex.
peace guardian, dis to brnsl, the hammer back
ms far MS it will 80 with my left forclingcr,
while hold the pistol firmly with my right
hand. My right folelingcr never goes near
lhc Trigger, nlt lielllS 10 hOht lnr SLOcK, ana
this makes my grip more firm and certain
When | push back the hammer have only
to take my finger off to let it fall and dis
clmrge the pistol. Yom sec, the trigger being
tied hack the hammer is always free Ono
motion is all thut is necessary to push back
the hammer and fire the shot. The trick is
called tanning the hammer You see, /
pushed it back with my left foretinger; it i'll
stalltly fell when ! released it, and tho next
instant my finger wns again pushing it back
to full cock: Doing this little act quickly
makes your finger sway bnrS and forth in a
way not unlike the tanning motion That's
where it got its uatuc"